Rhododendron leafhopper (Graphocephala fennahi)

This large and striking species is native to the USA, where it is known as the scarlet and green leafhopper. It was introduced to Europe in the early 1900s, and can now be found widely in southern Britain. Both adults and larvae feed on Rhododendron sap, and it is one of the few insects to use this shrub as a foodplant.

Adults can be found from mid-summer until quite late in the autumn, laying eggs in the leaf buds which hatch the following spring.

Seen in the gardens of Chiswick House, in Sept 2020

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